1 Samuel 18:1

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END OF SPEAKING UNTO SAUL, THAT THE SOUL OF JONATHAN WAS KNIT WITH THE SOUL OF DAVID, AND JONATHAN LOVED HIM AS HIS OWN SOUL._ The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. They were nearly of an age. The prince had taken little interest in David as a minstrel; but his heroism, and modest, manly bearing, his piety and high endowments, kindled the flame, not of admiration only, but of affection, in the congenial mind of Jonathan....

1-5 The friendship of David and Jonathan was the effect of Divine grace, which produces in true believers one heart and one soul, and causes them to love each other. This union of souls is from partaking in the Spirit of Christ. Where God unites hearts, carnal matters are too weak to separate them. Those who love Christ as their own souls, will be willing to join themselves to him in an everlasting covenant. It was certainly a great proof of the power of God's grace in David, that he was able to bear all this respect and honour, without being lifted up above measure....

CHAPTER XVIII _Jonathan and David commence a lasting friendship; and David_ _acts prudently with respect to Saul_, 1-5 _Saul becomes jealous of David, on account of the esteem in_ _which he is held in Israel; and, in his fury endeavours to_ _destroy him_, 6-12. _David is made captain over a thousand; and the people love and_ _respect him_, 13-16. _Saul, in order to ensnare him, offers him his daughter in_ _marriage_, 17-24; _and requires a hundred foreskins of the Philistines for dowry;_...

WAS KNIT WITH THE SOUL OF DAVID - The same forcible phrase occurs of Jacob’s love for Benjamin (marginal reference). Jonathan’s truly heroic character is shown in this generous love of David, and admiration of his great deed....

PERSONAL RELATIONS OF SAUL AND DAVID (CHS. 18-27). FRIENDSHIP OF DAVID AND JONATHAN (CHS. 18-20). EXPOSITION JONATHAN LOVES DAVID (1 Samuel 18:1). 1 SAMUEL 18:1 WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END OF SPEAKING. This conversation took place as soon as the pursuit of the Philistines and the collecting of the spoil were over. There would then be a muster of the Israelites, and Abner would naturally present the youthful champion to the king, who is represented as having virtually forgotte

AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD MADE AN END OF SPEAKING UNTO SAUL,.... In answer to his questions about his descent and family, and doubtless more things were talked of than are recorded: THAT THE SOUL OF JONATHAN WAS KNIT WITH THE SOUL OF DAVID: he won his heart, made a conquest of his affections, these went out towards him, and cleaved unto him; such were the comeliness of his person, his graceful mien and deportment, his freedom and fluency of expression, his courage and undauntedness, joined with prudence, modesty, and integrity, that they strongly attached him to him: AND JONATHAN LOVED HIM AS HIS OWN SOUL; not only according to the excellency of David's soul, and the greatness of it, as that deserved respect and love, as Abarbinel suggests, but he loved him as he loved himself. There was a similarity in their persons, in their age, in the dispositions of their minds, in their wi...

3. JONATHAN AND DAVID--SAUL'S JEALOUSY CHAPTER 18 _ 1. Jonathan's love for David (1 Samuel 18:1)_ 2. The beginning of Saul's jealousy (1 Samuel 18:5) 3. David's marriage (1 Samuel 18:17) A beautiful scene opens this chapter. Jonathan, the man of faith, loves David. He was about 40 years old and David about 17. Jonathan made a covenant with David and loved him as his own soul. He showed also his great devotion by giving to David, his robe, his garments, his sword, his bow and his girdle. Thus he stripped himself of all for David's sake. Such devotion and love should we manifest towards Him, who is greater than David. No doubt Jonathan's devotion was kindled by the deed young D

1 SAMUEL 17:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 18:5. DAVID AND GOLIATH (E, with additione by R). In this section two narratives seem to have been interwoven. For the sake of convenience, we may denote one set of passages by (A), and the other by (B), thus: (A) 1 Samuel 17:1; 1 Samuel 17:32. (B) 1 Samuel 17:12; 1 Samuel 17:55 to 1 Samuel 18:5. The (B) passages, together w

SOUL. Hebrew. _nephesh._ App-13. JONATHAN. At this time he was about forty; and about fifty-three _or_ fifty-four when he died. He would be about twenty-four years older than David, and his love was maternal in character. Ish-bosheth, Saul's second son, was forty at his father's death (2 Samuel 2:10)....

_the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David_ The same expressive phrase is used of Jacob's love for Benjamin in Genesis 44:30, which might be rendered "seeing his soul is knit up with the lad's soul." _loved him as his own soul_ Cp. 1 Samuel 20:17; Deu 13:6; 2 Samuel 1:26. Thus commenced that attachment "which is the first Biblical instance of a romantic friendship, such as was common afterwards in Greece, and has been since in Christendom; and is remarkable, both as giving its sanction to these, and as filled with a pathos of its own, which has been imitated but never surpassed, in modern works of fiction. Each found in each the affection that he found not in his own family." Dean Stanley in Dic